Fireside Sips
Whether you’re cozying up for movie night, relaxing with your favorite book or trying out a new podcast, no fireside hangout is complete without a tasty beverage. Here are some of our favorite recipes, sure to heat up any evening by the hearth or the fire pit.
Watermelon Martini
You'll need:
1 cup watermelon juice
4 ounces vodka
1 lime freshly squeezed
1/4 cup simple syrup
Bowl of ice cubes
Salt and sugar
Watermelon garnish
How to:
Make simple syrup (mix 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar over medium heat until sugar dissolves)
Juice two cups of fresh watermelon in food processor
Mix sugar and salt for martini glass rim
Pour watermelon juice, simple syrup, lime juice, vodka and ice in cocktail shaker
Shake, pour, enjoy!
Mint Julep
Watch How-to Video Here
You'll need:
8 mint leaves
1/4 oz simple syrup
2 oz bourbon
Mint sprig (for garnish)
How To:
Lightly muddle the mint leaves in simple syrup
Add bourbon and half of the ice
Stir
Add remaining ice, garnish, and enjoy #fireside
Lavender Gin Sour
Watch How-to Video Here
You'll need:
Lavender Simple Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 tbsp dried lavender leaves
Gin Sour
2 oz gin
½ oz lemon juice
½ oz lime juice
½ oz lavender simple syrup
How to:
To create the lavender simple syrup at home, combine sugar and water over high heat.
Whisk until sugar dissolves and syrup turns clear
When boiling, crush lavender leaves and add to syrup
Let sit for 30 minutes
Combine gin, lemon juice, lime juice, and syrup in a shaker with ice
Pour, garnish with lemon and enjoy #fireside
Green Smoothie
Watch How-to Video Here
You'll need:
Blender
Fresh spinach
Fresh avocado
Fresh banana
Milk of choice
Frozen pineapple
Frozen mango
How to:
Start by adding leafy greens
Toss in your fresh banana and avocado
Add milk of choice
Add frozen fruits
Blend until smooth and creamy
Garnish with fresh mango
Chocolate Cherry Martini
Watch How-to Video Here
You'll need:
6 oz vodka
3 oz dark chocolate liqueur
3 oz heavy cream
3 oz tart cherry syrup
Chocolate shavings
Chocolate syrup
Maraschino cherries
How to:
Mix ingredients in a shaker 1/3 of ice and shake.
Add a ribbon of chocolate syrup to the inside of the glass.
Pour martini into glasses and garnish with cherries.
Golden Almond Milk Latte
Watch How-to Video Here
You'll need:
2 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk
1 tablespoon of coconut oil (or ghee)
1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric powder
½ teaspoon ground ginger
A pinch of black pepper
Maple syrup to taste (optional)
How to:
Mix all the ingredients together in a saucepan.
Heat until it begins simmering.
Serve in mugs and enjoy #fireside
Mulled Wine
Watch How-to Video Here
You'll need:
2 large oranges
1 bottle of affordable Merlot, Zinfandel or Garnacha (also called Grenache)
1/2 cup brandy
1-2 tablespoons maply syrup or honey, to taste
2 whole cinnamon sticks
3 star anise pods
4 whole cloves
1/4 cup cranberries
How to:
Squeeze juice from one of the oranges. Slice the other orange into rounds.
Add orange juice and rounds into a small Dutch oven or similarly heavy-bottomed pot.
Pour in the wine, then the brandy. Add 1 tablespoon of sweetener, then the cinnamon sticks, star anise and cloves.
Warm over medium heat until steaming. Reduce heat to low at first sign of bubbles.
Time to taste-test. If you want it sweeter, add another tablespoon of sweetener. If you want it spicier, keep cooking for 5-10 more minutes.
Serve in mugs garnished with cranberries and extra spices for a holiday-appropriate look.
Spiced Chai Cocktail
Watch How-to Video Here
You'll need:
2/3 cup vanilla almond milk
1/3 cup chai tea concentrate
1/5 oz. whiskey
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Cinnamon or chai spice
Cinnamon stick
How to:
Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until too cold to hold. Pour into a tumbler and top with a sprinkle of chai spice or cinnamon. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and enjoy #bythefire.
Spooky Smash
Watch How-to Video Here
You’ll need:
8 fresh blackberries, plus more for topping
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, plus a sprig for serving
Juice from half of a lemon
1 tablespoon honey
1.5 ounces mezcal
A couple dashes of orange bitters
Seltzer water, for topping
How to:
Add blackberries, rosemary, lemon juice and honey to a cocktail shaker or jar.
Muddle all of the ingredients together, squishing everything well in order to release the juices. Once everything is well-muddled, add the mezcal and orange bitters.
Strain the drink into an ice-filled glass. Top the glass with a little more ice, pour the seltzer water over, and gently stir to combine. Garnish with fresh rosemary. If you’re feeling bold, add a mezcal float to amp up the smoky flavor.
Spiced Fig Bourbon Sour by Apartment Bartender
You’ll need:
2 oz bourbon
¾ oz spiced fig syrup*
1 oz lemon juice
1-2 dashes of aromatic bitters
How to:
Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake with ice. Strain the drink into a rocks glass over ice, and garnish with a slice of fig, lemon wedge and sprig of thyme.
*How to make spiced fig syrup:
In a medium saucepan combine 1 cup of water and 4-5 halved figs. Add in two broken-up cinnamon sticks, 3-4 whole cloves and 2-3 star anise, and bring the mixture to a light simmer. Once the figs begin to soften, lightly mash them, and then add in 1 cup of sugar and remove the syrup from the heat. Allow the syrup to cool before straining out the solids through a fine mesh strainer or coffee filter. Store the syrup in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Grilled Pineapple Mojito
You'll need:
Simple syrup
1 bunch of fresh mint
6 (1/2 inch) slices of grilled pineapple, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup fresh lime juice
2 1/2 cups light rum
1 liter club soda
How to:
Grill pineapple for 3 minutes per side over medium high to high heat, just until browned and caramelized.
In a large pitcher, combine most of the pineapple, the mint and a splash of lime juice. (Reserve 6-8 pieces of pineapple for garnishes on the glasses). Muddle to release the aromas of the mint and smash the pineapple. Add the simple syrup (to taste), the rest of the lime juice, the rum and the club soda and stir.
Pour into ice-filled glasses and garnish each with a piece of grilled pineapple.
Fresh Watermelon Margarita
Watch How-to Video Here
You’ll need:
½ cup of tequila (or mezcal)
½ jalapeño, sliced
4 cups cubed watermelon
½ cup lime juice
Salt (optional)
Ice
How to:
In a blender, combine the tequila, jalapeño, watermelon and lime juice. Add a large handful of ice and blend until slushy. Rim glasses with salt, if desired. Garnish with sliced jalapeño and lime. Enjoy fireside!
Crackletini
Watch How-to Video Here
You'll need:
Ice
1.5 oz vodka
.75 oz blue caracao liqueur
.75 oz lemon juice
How to:
Combine all ingredients in a shaker.
Shake until cold and pour over ice.
Top with Pop Rocks, garnish with a festive popsicle.
Enjoy #bythefire!
Root Beer Floats (with a twist!)
Watch How to Video Here
You only need three ingredients to take your fireside sips game to a super sweet place:
Vanilla ice cream
Vanilla vodka
Your favorite high-quality root beer
Bonus: it's easy to make a mocktail version for the kids, too.
Strawberry Frosé
Watch How to Video Here
You’ll need:
About half a bottle of chilled rosé (or more to taste)
2 cups chopped strawberries
1/4 cup vodka
Juice of one lemon
4 cups ice
How to:
In a blender, combine the rosé, strawberries, vodka and lemon juice.
Add the ice and blend until slushy.
If mixture is too watery, add more ice.
If you are serving a larger group, the recipe can be doubled.
Serve immediately and enjoy #fireside!
Citrus Spritz
Watch How to Video Here
You’ll need:
4 cups grapefruit juice
2 cups orange juice
2 cups pineapple juice
12 oz. of something bubbly (like Champagne, Prosecco or lemon-lime soda for a mocktail version)
Fresh citrus slices of your choice, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
How to:
In a large pitcher, combine the fruit juices.
Add in the citrus slices and stir gently to combine.
If you are serving right away, add in the lemon-lime soda or the Champagne and gently stir to combine.
If you are making the drink in advance, you can refrigerate the pitcher of juices and citrus for up to a day.
Add the soda or Champagne right before serving.
Enjoy #fireside
Elderflower Greyhound
Watch How to Video Here
You’ll need:
1.5 oz. vodka
1 oz. elderflower liqueur
2 oz. pink grapefruit juice
An orange slice for garnish
How to:
Combine vodka, elderflower liqueur and grapefruit juice together in a shaker filled with ice.
Mix well and pour over a tumbler filled with ice.
Garnish with an orange.
Enjoy #fireside
Earl Grey Cocktail
Watch How to Video Here
You'll need:
6 oz. of chilled Earl Grey tea
1.5 oz. of good-quality gin
1 oz. of honey simple syrup
.5 oz. of lemon juice
How to:
Add ingredients to a shaker and give it a shake.
Pour over ice
Garnish with edible flowers
Enjoy #fireside
Irish Coffee
Watch How to Video Here
You'll need:
1 cup of fresh, hot coffee
1 tbsp. of brown sugar
1.5 oz. of Irish whiskey
How to:
Starting with the coffee, add brown sugar and Irish whiskey
Stir well and top with fresh whipped cream.
Enjoy #fireside
Raspberry Bellini
Watch How to Video Here
You’ll need:
1 package frozen sweetened raspberries, thawed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups chilled sparkling wine or Champagne
Mint leaves and fresh raspberries (optional)
How to:
Place raspberries, lemon juice and vanilla in a blender; cover and process until pureed.
Press through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl; discard seeds.
Fill each flute or coupe with 2 tablespoons raspberry mixture; top with Champagne or sparkling wine.
Garnish as desired.
Enjoy #fireside
Lemon Ginger Shrub Mocktail
Watch How to Video Here
You'll need:
2 cups water
Fresh lemon juice (from 6 lemons)
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup fresh ginger (finely chopped)
Zest of 2 lemons
2 cups sugar
5 cardamom pods (whole)
How to:
Add the ingredients to a saucepan and boil for 15-20 minutes.
Allow to cool, strain, then refrigerate until cold.
Add to a glass with ice and top with sparkling water
Garnish with lemon
Enjoy #fireside
White Christmas Martini
Watch How to Video Here
You’ll need:
1 oz. brown liquor of your choice
1 oz. amaretto
2 oz. eggnog
Sprinkle of grated nutmeg
How to:
Add all liquid ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
Shake for 30 seconds, strain into a martini glass and top with nutmeg.
Enjoy #fireside
Spiked Orange Hot Chocolate
Watch How to Video Here
You’ll need:
2 tbsp of hot chocolate mix
8 oz. steamed milk
1.5 oz. Orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier
2-3 drops orange bitters (optional)
Sweetened whipped cream, for topping
1 orange, for zesting
How to:
Pour 2 tbsp of hot chocolate mix into a mug of your choice.
Add 8 oz steamed milk and blend together.
Stir orange liqueur and bitters into the hot chocolate.
Top with a dollop of whipped cream.
Zest some orange peel over the whipped cream for bright color and a zingy scent.
Enjoy #fireside
Cranberry Moscow Mule
Watch How to Video Here
You’ll need:
1 part vodka
1 part cranberry juice cocktail
2 parts ginger beer
1 tablespoon lime juice
Lime wedges, fresh cranberries & rosemary sprig for garnish (optional)
How to:
Pour vodka, cranberry juice and lime juice into shaker with ice.
Shake it and then pour into a glass over ice.
Top with ginger beer and garnish as desired.
Enjoy #fireside
Pumpkin & Apple Cider Fizz
Watch How to Video Here
You’ll need:
1.5 oz. pumpkin puree, canned or homemade
1.5 oz. vanilla vodka
1.5 oz. apple cider
1.5 oz. ginger beer
How to:
Add vodka, cider and puree to an ice-filled shaker and shake until well chilled.
Strain into a glass and top with ginger beer.
Enjoy #fireside
Hot Toddy
Watch How to Video Here
You’ll need:
1.5 oz. brown liquor such as brandy, whiskey or rum
1 tablespoon honey
0.5 oz. lemon juice
1 cup hot water
Lemon wedge, cinnamon stick and star anise, for garnish (optional)
How to:
Combine the first four ingredients into a warmed mug and stir.
If desired, garnish with the lemon, cinnamon stick or star anise.
Enjoy hearthside!
